Glossary of automotive design

A glossary of terms relating to automotive design.

Some terms may be found at car classification.

One-box form Chevrolet Van , replica of the Mystery Machine
Two-box form Volvo P1800 ES shooting-brake
Three-box form Alfa Romeo Giulia (Type 105) sedan/saloon
The 1989 logo for the Opel Calibra emphasized the A-line
The backlight of the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme is curved to improve visibility
This Honda Accord carries a beltline crease running along the side through the door handles
The batsman's crease on the centreline of the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette (C2) is carried from the roof to the tail
The instruments of this Ford Thunderbird are set in chrome bezels
Twin binnacles of Chevrolet Corvette (C2)
Front-hinged bonnet of a Nissan Skyline (KPGC10)
1957 Rambler Custom estate / station wagon with opened boot
Virgil Exner 's design for the 1955–56 Imperial included extensive brightwork in the grille, bumper, wheels, and window trim
Worker fits components to this body in white of a Toyota Corolla at the Ōhira, Miyagi plant
BMW i8 with open butterfly doors
Bustle back of a Cadillac Seville
The cabin of the Jeep Forward Control is on top of the front axle
The Bill Thomas Cheetah has a long bonnet and short rear deck , typical of cab back designs
In cab forward designs like this Eagle Vision , the base of the windshield is pulled forward over the front wheels
Workers at the Alfa Romeo Arese plant assembling bodies
The distinct character line of this Aston Martin Lagonda (series 2) runs horizontally from tip to tail, interrupted at each wheel arch.
Chrome details on this Ferrari 250 GT Coupé "Boano" include the window frames, rear view mirrors, wiper arms, headlight bezels, front grille, and bumper.
The gray plastic cladding of a Pontiac Montana contrasts with the red body panels
Control panel for HVAC functions in a Toyota Avanza
The cowl of this Wiesmann GT includes two openings for the wiper motors
1954 Cadillac Coupe DeVille featuring prominent bullet-shaped Dagmar bumpers
U-shaped daytime running lamps of a Chevrolet Bolt EV
Dash-to-axle ratios of a Mini and Lincoln Continental presidential limousine
The Volkswagen Golf Harlequin features multi-color body panels; in this example, the dog leg is yellow, extending from the rocker to the roof
Many semi-trailer trucks have a fairing mounted on the roof of the cab to improve aerodynamics
Shelby Mustang GT350 fastback
On this Volkswagen Golf Harlequin, the fender or wings are colored blue
The MG C-type was fitted with a fishtail exhaust
Workers fit an engine with transmission to the frame at the Ford Long Beach Assembly plant
Decorative gill on Chevrolet Corvette (C3)
One gull-wing door is open on this DMC DeLorean , modified as a replica of the time machine from the Back to the Future films
Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight hardtop coupe
The Hofmeister kink at the base of the C-pillar of this BMW 3.0 CS is adorned with a BMW roundel
The instrument panel of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang , used in the film of the same name
The styling update to the Alfa Romeo Spider in 1970 gave it a Kammback tail
The Ferrari F40 features multiple NACA ducts at the front, rear, and sides
The front and rear overhangs of the Acura NSX refer to the body forward of the front wheels and aft of the rear wheels, respectively; OHR = 42.6%
The obscuration band at the base of this windshield has a notch to display the vehicle identification number
1916 Studebaker phaeton
Labeled pillars
Ford Taurus SHO , showing the windshield wiper plenum at the base of the windshield and the serpentine intake manifold of the Yamaha-designed V6 engine
Volvo PV444 with ponton styling
Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid electric vehicle recharging its traction battery through a SAE J1772 connector
Mazda MX-5 (NC) with body (in white, left) removed to show chassis and powertrain
Customized Chevrolet Bel Air hot rod with positive rake
Jaguar XJ-S roadster
Alfa Romeo 75 with prominent extended body-colored rocker panels and fender flares
Peugeot 405 with prominent black rubbing strips running horizontally along the sides
Saab hockey stick C-pillar curve on Saab 900 hatch
Lamborghini Countach LP400 with scissor doors open
Intake scoop on top of the hood of an AMC Rebel "The Machine"
Scowling headlamps of the BMW M4 GTS
BMW M Coupe shooting-brake
The shoulder line of a Volvo S80 (TS) extends from front to rear along the base of the greenhouse
On lower trim levels of the BMW 3 Series (E36) , the sill extensions below the door were left unpainted
Checker A-11 taxi featured sixthlights for the rear-seat passengers
Alfa Romeo Spider with raised softtop
Honda Insight used spats on the rear wheel to reduce aerodynamic drag
The large spoiler of the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth once campaigned by Didier Auriol bisects the rear backlight
Prominent strakes on the side of the Ferrari 512TR extend onto the doors
Lincoln Continental with front and rear suicide door open
1967 Plymouth GTX with pronounced swage line running fore and aft
Open swan door on an Aston Martin Rapide S
While wheelbase is measured axle-to-axle and generally does not change whether measured from the left or right side, track is measured wheel-to-wheel and may vary from front to rear
The Dodge Power Wagon truck was sold between 1945 and 1978
Car boot sales operate from the trunk or boot of an automobile
Range Rover Classic with a tube fender accessory protecting the front, replacing the bumper and carrying auxiliary lights and a winch
Illustration of tumblehome , comparing Audi Q7 with Fiat Ducato
The Alfa Romeo Disco Volante has a pronounced turn under
The Lancia Stratos HF is considered wedge-positive
Gillig buses have an octagonal wheel arch as a signature styling detail
The wheel arch gap is pronounced on this Toyota 4Runner , to facilitate its intended off-road use
The wheelbase is measured from axle to axle
This Willys MB has a circular rear wheel well and an angled one for the front
The Fiat 124 has chrome windshield trim
The Lotus Seven series of cars has front wings that are not integrated into the body